Socio-cultural drivers of adolescent pregnancies among school going girls in Kitui township sub-location, Kitui county, Kenya

Abstract

The future of society depends on teenagers. The transition of teenagers to successful adulthood depends on their gender and other societal forces. The handling of the teenager's issues influences their future excellence. The female gender is more susceptible to many challenges which may hamper their bright future. Girls more so on their teenage face greater challenges compared to their boys' counterparts. Girls are prone to challenges of sexual reproductive health and pregnancies which may blur their social, economic cultural and health outcomes. It is therefore worth noting the importance placed on teenage pregnancies. This research, therefore, sought to determine the socio-cultural drivers of adolescent pregnancies among school-going girls in Kitui township sub-location, Kitui county, Kenya. A sample of 140 teenagers was enumerated from a larger population of 467 available interviewees as per Kerlinger (2004). The study adopted a mixed-method cross-sectional research design, which involves combining qualitative and quantitative design methods. The data was collected using questionnaires, Key informants’ guides and focused group discussions. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS and presented in tabular and in form of graphical illustrations. The qualitative data was presented inform of verbatim quotes. Over half (66%) of the girls' population was knowledgeable and the larger source of their knowledge was teachers. 50% of the population had boyfriends and termed the move as their choice after peer influence. The study findings give the current teenage pregnancies landscape and also can be used for regulatory and advisory purposes by bodies which deal with girl child welfare like UNICEF. The study concluded that the rising pregnancies were linked to peer pressure, social opposition and gender norms and recommended awareness among the girls and their parents to minimize teenage pregnancies.